1989 Corvette C4 6 Speed Manual
Discussion
Time for a departure from 924s!
I was at Bristol Queens Sq. meet with my sister on Sunday and was talking about how I would like a C4 Corvette but it would have to be manual, with the early engine and digi dash. Walked around the corner and there was my next car waiting for me! Spoke to the seller, went for a drive on Tuesday and then on Wednesday it was being dropped off at mine!!
Since I sold my 924 Turbo, I missed the event of having a ridiculous car and although my 924S is very competent and probably the best car I've owned, it didn't have the wow factor.
So about the car, it's a 1989 Corvette C4 with the early body style which I like, especially the rear lights!
The spec is:
L98 SBC
6 Speed ZF manual gearbox
Z51 handling pack – the front wheels are 9.5in wide!
6 way electric sports seats
Bose sound system
FX-3 adjustable ride – The Bilstein shocks have 3 settings you can change in the cockpit
The awesome digital dash!
Stock apart from custom stainless exhaust with no cats and 1 silencer
Everything on it works and it has all the right options, the right colour etc.
It's a different beast to the 924s, which are small, precise cars. This is a sledgehammer! It's very comfortable, not that bad at going around corners and the sound is to die for!
I'm 26 and insurance was a mere £282 fully comp with £50 excess and commuting included! Don't ask me how much a full set of tyres costs or if I've worn out my petrol station loyalty card...
Before I got it and drove it in the rain....
I was at Bristol Queens Sq. meet with my sister on Sunday and was talking about how I would like a C4 Corvette but it would have to be manual, with the early engine and digi dash. Walked around the corner and there was my next car waiting for me! Spoke to the seller, went for a drive on Tuesday and then on Wednesday it was being dropped off at mine!!
Since I sold my 924 Turbo, I missed the event of having a ridiculous car and although my 924S is very competent and probably the best car I've owned, it didn't have the wow factor.
So about the car, it's a 1989 Corvette C4 with the early body style which I like, especially the rear lights!
The spec is:
L98 SBC
6 Speed ZF manual gearbox
Z51 handling pack – the front wheels are 9.5in wide!
6 way electric sports seats
Bose sound system
FX-3 adjustable ride – The Bilstein shocks have 3 settings you can change in the cockpit
The awesome digital dash!
Stock apart from custom stainless exhaust with no cats and 1 silencer
Everything on it works and it has all the right options, the right colour etc.
It's a different beast to the 924s, which are small, precise cars. This is a sledgehammer! It's very comfortable, not that bad at going around corners and the sound is to die for!
I'm 26 and insurance was a mere £282 fully comp with £50 excess and commuting included! Don't ask me how much a full set of tyres costs or if I've worn out my petrol station loyalty card...
Before I got it and drove it in the rain....
It is very childish! But I love cars like that.
It's the opposite of a turbo to drive, it will pull from <1k rpm and has over 350ft torque by 3500rpm but then not long after 4k you're changing up again. It's great fun pulling it up through the gears. Cruising in 6th gives you 1600rpm at 70mph and it really settles down. Unless you're in 6th, when you put your foot down, you go!
It has loads of neat features for the period. If you're pulling slowly away in 1st, 2nd is electrically locked out and it lets you select 3rd to bumble off sensibly. Of course, if you're using more throttle or revs, you can pop it right into 2nd.
I put my footdown yesterday and it spun the wheels in 3rd, and that's with 275 section tyres all round.
It's the opposite of a turbo to drive, it will pull from <1k rpm and has over 350ft torque by 3500rpm but then not long after 4k you're changing up again. It's great fun pulling it up through the gears. Cruising in 6th gives you 1600rpm at 70mph and it really settles down. Unless you're in 6th, when you put your foot down, you go!
It has loads of neat features for the period. If you're pulling slowly away in 1st, 2nd is electrically locked out and it lets you select 3rd to bumble off sensibly. Of course, if you're using more throttle or revs, you can pop it right into 2nd.
I put my footdown yesterday and it spun the wheels in 3rd, and that's with 275 section tyres all round.
I saw you in this Vette yesterday at Cardiff Central station. I was watching from the office as you drove around the car park. Lovely, lovely looking thing and I immediately gathered other petrol heads (ok, there's just one other) in the office to have a look. 3 floors up with sealed windows and I could still hear and vaguely feel the V8 rumble.
Thumbs up from me.
Elesmart
Thumbs up from me.
Elesmart
That is aweseome! Loved these cars as a kid.
I always said i wanted one like 'Face' from the A-team had, which i believe was a white one with a red stripe.
Though whenever you see one in the classifieds it's usual an auto box, so well done on finding a manual!
I'd love to see some more pictures, including with the head lights up.
How much of the exterior design would you need to revise... to make this car appear to be a 2017 production car? Five percent? Ten percent? It's a classical post-modern look that has not aged too poorly.
I'm referring solely to the exterior design. Yes, it exudes themes of the 1980s (eg: being rectilinear), but these are not overly wrought, in my opinion.
The key to the look of this car is that it is indeed quite low to the ground. Rather like a contemporaneous Lotus. A low roofline. and a flat shape.
Looks sinister in black.
Thanks for the responses!
I still have my 924S for sale if anyone wants it? I have been browsing Corvette forums and have realised I need lots of go faster bits!
5harp3y – I have ordered proper numberplates, I'm keeping an eye out for some tasty wheels. I've got 315 section urges...
Fartgalen – I paid strong money for it but it's in excellent condition and the spec really sold it to me. It doesn't have orange indicators, instead the PO wired the indicators to the numberplate lights, so they flash orange. I get to keep the cool red lights then.
Steveo3002 – Insurance is with Footman James
5ohmustang – That's right, it's the TPI engine with the ZF 6 speed (ala Lotus Carlton & ZR1) Being an '89, mine should have aluminium heads.
I took my Dad out in the car when it was dry, we hadn't even finished with 3rd gear when he stopped swearing and told me I'd proved my point.
All these American things like “hooking up off the line” are making sense to me now. I'm fortunate enough to live very close to the Butetown tunnels and can think of nothing better to drive through there.
I took it to work today on a morning shift. Leaving a 5am I had to drive very carefully through residential areas, sneaking along! My “sneakanomical” driving netted me 20mpg. On the way home it was raining heavily and it's useless in the rain! There's so much low down torque you just can't get the power down and just spin the tyres all the time. Bumpy, pot hole stricken roads don't agree with the 17x9.5” wheels on every corner.
One of the seals is a bit marginal and I'm sure I'll find some niggly bits to do but it's half the fun of old cars! I popped out to the shops in the Porsche and it's very precise and feels like a go-cart but I'm already addicted to the noise and power of that 5.7L
I still have my 924S for sale if anyone wants it? I have been browsing Corvette forums and have realised I need lots of go faster bits!
5harp3y – I have ordered proper numberplates, I'm keeping an eye out for some tasty wheels. I've got 315 section urges...
Fartgalen – I paid strong money for it but it's in excellent condition and the spec really sold it to me. It doesn't have orange indicators, instead the PO wired the indicators to the numberplate lights, so they flash orange. I get to keep the cool red lights then.
Steveo3002 – Insurance is with Footman James
5ohmustang – That's right, it's the TPI engine with the ZF 6 speed (ala Lotus Carlton & ZR1) Being an '89, mine should have aluminium heads.
I took my Dad out in the car when it was dry, we hadn't even finished with 3rd gear when he stopped swearing and told me I'd proved my point.
All these American things like “hooking up off the line” are making sense to me now. I'm fortunate enough to live very close to the Butetown tunnels and can think of nothing better to drive through there.I took it to work today on a morning shift. Leaving a 5am I had to drive very carefully through residential areas, sneaking along! My “sneakanomical” driving netted me 20mpg. On the way home it was raining heavily and it's useless in the rain! There's so much low down torque you just can't get the power down and just spin the tyres all the time. Bumpy, pot hole stricken roads don't agree with the 17x9.5” wheels on every corner.
One of the seals is a bit marginal and I'm sure I'll find some niggly bits to do but it's half the fun of old cars! I popped out to the shops in the Porsche and it's very precise and feels like a go-cart but I'm already addicted to the noise and power of that 5.7L
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